Trump and Netanyahu Talk Gaza, Iran in Impromptu Media Appearance

Netanyahu likened the combined American and Israeli efforts against Tehran as setting back “the two tumors that were threatening the life of Israel: the nuclear tumor and the ballistic-missile tumor.” As for the latter, Netanyahu said Iran intended to build 20,000 [missiles] to launch “on a country the size of New Jersey. No country can withstand that. So what do you do when you have two things that are going to kill you? You have to remove them.”

He cautioned, however, that “when you remove a tumor, that doesn’t mean that it can’t come back. You have to constantly monitor the situation to make sure that there’s no attempt to bring it back.”

He suggested Iran would be hesitant to rebuild the former tumor to threaten Israel again.

“I’d like to believe that Iran would not test our fortitude, because it would be a mistake,” he said.

Queried on whether he still backs regime change in Iran, Netanyahu deferred, saying that “it’s up to the people of Iran.”

Trump revealed that his administration has “scheduled Iran talks” and that “they want to talk” after they took a “big drubbing,” referring to his administration’s strikes on Tehran’s nuclear facilities. Trump intimated the date for the talks would be revealed on Tuesday.

Steve Witkoff, the US special envoy for the Middle East, told reporters the talks would come “in the next week or so.”

Trump conceded, though, in response to a question from JNS, that he’s not sure what the basis of the talks will be, given that the strikes eliminated Iran’s nuclear threat, in a situation Trump likened to the dropping of US atomic bombs on Japan.

But the Islamic Republic “requested a meeting,” Trump said, “and I’m going to go to a meeting, and if we can put something down on paper, that will be fine.”

“They want to make peace,” Trump added, “and I’m all for it. If that’s not the case, we are ready, willing and able [to strike them again], but I don’t think we’re going to have to.”

‘It should be an open place’

On the Palestinian front, Netanyahu turned back to orthodoxy on the two-state solution, telling reporters that “I think Palestinians should have all the powers to govern themselves, but none of the powers to threaten us.”

He also asserted that Palestinians had a state in Gaza.

“Look what they did with it. They didn’t build it up. They built them into bunkers, into terror tunnels, after which they massacred our people,” the Israeli prime minister said, adding that “another” Palestinian state would likewise serve as a “platform to destroy Israel.”

Netanyahu said Jerusalem and Washington are “getting close to finding several countries” to absorb Gazans who wish to leave the Strip, following up on a plan previously announced by Trump to depopulate the enclave and reconstruct it.

“I think President Trump had a brilliant vision. It’s called free choice. If people want to stay, they can stay, but if they want to leave, they should be able to leave,” Netanyahu said, adding that he’s working with the Trump administration on a plan. Gaza “shouldn’t be a prison. It should be an open place.”

Trump said the White House has found “great cooperation” from “surrounding countries,” and that “Something good will happen” on the Gaza relocation front.

Asked about a security incident in Gaza earlier in the day, in which the Israel Defense Forces reportedly suffered multiple casualties, Trump said he didn’t think that the tragedy would impact ongoing ceasefire talks with Hamas.

Witkoff called the incident “terribly unfortunate,” but insisted that an opportunity remained for a hostage and ceasefire deal, saying it is his hope that one will be reached “very quickly.”

Netanyahu said he still plans to visit New York City, even if Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani, the mayoral nominee, wins the general election. Mamdani has threatened to have Netanyahu arrested for war crimes, echoing warrants for so-called war crimes issued by the International Criminal Court in the Hague last November against the Israeli prime minister and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant.

Netanyahu said he’s “not concerned about that.” Trump jumped in, saying, “I’ll get him out.”

Netanyahu called Mamdani’s stance “folly” and “silly in many ways.”

Trump told reporters Mamdani has “said some real bad things about Jewish people,” likely referring to the 33-year-old candidate’s persistent criticism of Israel and his refusal to condemn the use of the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which is seen by many as a call for violence against Jews worldwide.

“He better behave; otherwise, he’s going to have big problems,” Trump said of Mamdani.

‘The situation has changed’

JNS asked Netanyahu whether he is comfortable with the pace of changes in Syria pushed by the Trump administration, whereas he has taken a more cautious approach toward the new Syrian government.

“I think there’s an opportunity to explore. I think that everyone understands that the situation has changed,” Netanyahu said. “Iran was essentially running Syria directly through Hezbollah. Hezbollah has been brought to its knees. Iran is out of the picture. So, I think this presents opportunities for stability, for security, and eventually, for peace.”

He said Syria has “a lot to lose by going back to conflict, and there’s a lot to gain by moving towards peace. And I think that opportunity has been opened by the president and by the changed security situation, which we brought about with the collapse of the [Bashar] Assad regime.”

Netanyahu declined to talk about whether Israel is in direct talks with the government of the current Syrian president, Ahmed Al-Sharaa.

He opened the meeting by presenting Trump with a copy of a letter he sent to the Nobel Prize committee, nominating Trump for the prestigious peace award.

“It’s well-deserved, and you should get it,” Netanyahu said, with Trump responding, “Coming from you, in particular, this is very meaningful.”